


Black, bittersweet

by Jisooschrist



Category: PRISTIN (Band)
Genre: Coffee Shop, F/F, Minkyebin is the main ship, TW: Suicide, but will explore the others too, but will try to keep it not //too// dark, just like all the characters will have a plotline even if it won't be the main, tw: self-harm, will get kind of dark, yup that's how it all started
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-11
Updated: 2017-10-11
Packaged: 2018-12-14 06:22:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11777289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jisooschrist/pseuds/Jisooschrist
Summary: Kim Minkyeong is a mess. Personal problems (her sexuality being one of them), family problems... she lives with her best friend, Kyungwon, who doesn't want to admit that she might be attracted to girls too. They join a band,  initially led by Yebin herself. Her and Yebin get closer as the band gets bigger. New members join, adding more plotlines to explore to the story, the main one still being led by Minkyeong's plotline. One day, an event triggers everything she's been trying to push away: she collapses, first with alcohol, drugs, until the climax reaches its peak...«— What would you like to do, in the future? — Yebin asked.Minkyeong smiled for a brief second, then her happiness faded. — Survive — she said. She shook her head and put a smile on her face again. — Survive in this mad, mad world —»





	1. 1. Laptop girl

Kim Minkyeong could have been considered a totally normal girl working her way through life as a waitress in a coffee shop. She was, indeed. She was pretty tall (just two centimetres taller than her best friend, but still a good reason to always make fun of her for it), and absolutely stunning. She knew it, of course, and not only thanks to all the fuck boys who constantly tried to get her number. She had charming eyes, reason why basically half of South Korea was constantly pining over her. Her body was definitely in shape, and she had long, reddish hair, which she dyed immediately after moving out of her parents’ house.

So, she had been living in a small apartment in the centre of the town with her long time best friend, Kyungwon. The two of them became best friends at around 10 years of age, and had always been near each other ever since. They’re _the_ dynamic duo, they would always cover each other at school and at home. They would skip lessons to secretly go to the park and be scolded after. They would sit on the grass and dream about life. School wasn’t important anyway.

Kyungwon was younger than her, and just as beautiful as Minkyeong, however she had never been as much flirty, which constantly consisted in her third wheeling her best friend and the people she dated. Not that it’s that terrible, anyway. Minkyeong had never been into a serious relationship for more than three months, anyway, yet she still made fun of Kyungwon for having never kissed anyone… kind of. Kyungwon had long brown hair and a sweet face, that always made girls fall for her. Somehow, always girls.

 

Kyungwon’s alarm clock started ringing, and the girls started groaning.

It had been quite a wild weekend, but not the worst. Usually, during the worsts, Minkyeong would wake up in someone else’s bed.

— Can’t we sleep for five more minutes? — Kyungwon said, still half asleep. Minkyeong was definitely too tired to even formulate a sentence, so she just pulled Kyungwon’s bed sheets, exposing her to the cold air, and receiving some insults as a response. She got into the bathroom first, took a quick shower, dressed up, prepared her bag with everything she could have needed and the uniform that she had to wear at work, ate some leftovers as a breakfast. The usual. Even though it was the end of March, it was still just as cold as if winter never ended, to the point where she was actually trembling a bit waiting for Kyungwon to be ready before leaving the house. They usually had the same shifts at work, and that day, like all other Sundays, they had to work during the morning, when there usually weren’t many clients, thing that both of them loved as they could take secret naps when no one was there to order.

The walk to the shop was always quiet. Sometimes they held hands, instead of talking. It was harder than it looked like, their life. Minkyeong only had Kyungwon, and Kyungwon knew it. She knew she had to be by her side.

When they entered the shop, Nayoung, the daughter of their boss, and their supervisor, was already cleaning some glasses and mugs (she would clean already clean stuff too, when she was bored). — ‘Morning — she greeted the two girls. — Less wasted than usual, I see — she said smiling towards the oldest of the two. Minkyeong, on her side, just glared at her with an annoyed look and headed to the room where they would change. — C’mon, I’m just joking — she heard Nayoung say.

Nayoung was probably the nicest person both Minkyeong and Kyungwon had ever met. It didn’t look like it, at first, but she was very sweet and mother-like to both of them and generally all of the staff that worked there part time (which consisted in teens trying to earn some money.) She was the one who hired Minkyeong and Kyungwon (being the boss’s daughter, she had some privileges, like attending or even doing the job interviews), she was only 19 at the time. And she was the only person, other than Kyungwon, who knew about Minkyeong’s past… all of it.

She was just one centimetre shorter than Minkyeong, she had a heart-shaped face and a pointy nose and long, typically wavy, brown hair. She was also a good leader, and usually the only one who kept workers from firing themselves (her father, instead, wasn’t the nicest person on this planet, which led the staff to go and find another job).

 

Not long after Jieqiong also arrived at the shop. She was one of the teens working there part time. She was the closest to Nayoung: she was Chinese and came there to work as a singer, but she wasn’t exactly rich, so she had been working at the shop to earn some money and at the same time she’d been attending private Korean lessons which Nayoung gave her for free. She was also kind of teaching everyone there Chinese (she found it funny to see Minkyeong and Kyungwon randomly saying Chinese words or sentences to exercise, considering how most of the time they just said random things without an actual sense).

She was shorter than Nayoung, and had long, black, straight hair, that fell gently at the sides of her face. She also had a very sweet face, often decorated with a positive smile, and a side profile that was undeniably beautiful. She could be a bit annoying sometimes, but she was a nice person to have around after all.

She dressed up quickly and got behind the counter, preparing some of the sweets they sold.

 

It was about noon when people started actually coming, most of them being old couples, and casually some university students coming there to study while drinking something. It had been a long time since Minkyeong was a good student, she never went to coffee shops to study though, she usually went there to try and drink with fake IDs, and she had been caught once or twice (since she often came in the coffee shop she was currently working in, she was usually caught by Nayoung herself, who would scold her much like a mother and drive her home, making sure that she hadn’t had too much to drink, so that Minkyeong’s mother wouldn’t find it out). Well, she made it out of school anyway, and she was still working in the same place where people who had came out of school with higher grades were and had been since they also graduated.

There was a student, however, a loyal client, that always intrigued Minkyeong. She didn’t know why at all. She didn’t know her age but the girl must have been around her age, probably a bit younger as she still attended high school (she often came in the bar still wearing the school uniform). She was definitely shorter than her, around 10 centimetres, and she had long, dark brown hair, which she usually kept on one side of her head, or tied up in a high ponytail. She would come often and stay for long, ordering just a big coffee and drinking it until it eventually got cold, and sometimes she would order some more to stay longer. She would often bring a laptop and write, with a pair of earphones tucked in her computer, casually looking around herself. She often looked at Minkyeong, actually, but the waitress didn’t notice that.

 

Minkyeong was about to literally fall asleep when Kyungwon hit her with the notebook they used to take the orders. — Laptop girl is here — she said, with a smirk. Minkyeong almost fell standing up all of a sudden. _What am I even doing,_ she thought. It was just a client anyway. The only pretty client in a crowd of sixty-something years old men. The girl had sat to her usual spot, in a corner of the shop, but she didn’t have her laptop that day. She was wearing a big grey sweater, some tight black jeans and a pair of converse. One thing that Minkyeong noticed was that she was always wearing converse, the only thing that changed was the colour. She looked sleepy. Minkyeong approached her, and she didn’t seem to notice. — Good morning. May I take your order? — she said. The girl looked at her surprised. She definitely was sleepy. — No, thanks, I’m waiting for a person, I’ll order when she’ll be here. Thanks — she said. Minkyeong nodded and went back to the counter. Kyungwon looked at her, — So? — she asked, ready to prepare the drink. — She said she’s waiting for someone — Minkyeong answered. Everything went back to being chill.

 

Not long after another girl entered the shop. It was Siyeon.

Park Siyeon was a long time friend of Kyungwon (their parents were friend, so they kind of grew up together). She would often pass by after school to talk with Kyungwon. Her friendship with her was pretty weird. Well, actually, her relationships with anyone were weird. She would often be mean and bitter, but sometimes she was all about skinship. Minkyeong honestly didn’t understand her, and she didn’t really want to. She got used to being kind of insulted by her. Kyungwon was closer to her, and she learned to decode her. She would understand when she was in a bad mood and when instead she was in a good mood. Most important of all, she learned that Siyeon actually enjoyed other people’s presence and just pretended to be mean. She was often a guest at their house, and Minkyeong caught her numerous times being physically close to Kyungwon, like hugging her or holding her hands. It was cute.

But she wasn’t at Kyungwon’s house, which for Minkyeong meant getting ready to be somehow insulted. After all, it was interesting how she always had something to say.

— Hey, princess — Kyungwon greeted her. Siyeon looked at her, her eyebrows slightly furrowed. Minkyeong laughed quietly, remembering how Siyeon actually liked it when Kyungwon called her like that when they were alone. Siyeon was shorter than Kyungwon, and she had a sweet face (whenever she wasn’t pouty or being mean to someone) surrounded by straight, black hair. She was very pretty actually. Her voice was kind of relaxing, but she had a slight lisp. Minkyeong always made fun of her for it.

— A friend of mine should be here, has she already arrived? — Siyeon said, ignoring Kyungwon. The girls thought about it. — That one over there? — Minkyeong asked her, pointing the laptop girl. — Yes. — Siyeon said simply, heading over the girl. They both watched her go, before Minkyeong said — You didn’t tell me they were friends! —, to which Kyungwon answered — I didn’t know —, just as surprised. Did that mean that that laptop girl was also three years younger than them? Did Minkyeong seriously find cute a girl who could have easily been her sister? Damn.

She went back to them to take their orders. They were talking animatedly about what Minkyeong overheard being regarding to music, a band, songs. She kept looking at them all the time. — She was not born in 2000 — she said, more than once, to her friend. Kyungwon shook her head. — I’ll ask Siyeon, ok? — she said. Minkyeong sighed.

 

At around 5 p.m. their shift was over.

Kyungwon kept begging Minkyeong to go shopping, but she definitely didn’t feel like it. She had quite a headache, and felt a bit sick. It was probably still the hangover.

They came back home, and both just jumped on their beds. A few minutes went by, before Kyungwon talked. — I’m calling Siyeon — she said. Minkyeong didn’t move. — Why? — she asked. — You’re boring when you’re hang over, and I don’t want to spend the evening doing nothing again. — the shortest explained. Before the other could complain, she continued — And I can ask her about the laptop girl so we’ll find out if you’re a weirdo crushing over a 16 years old girl —, to which Minkyeong jumped on the bed and almost shouted — Crushing? —, with a shocked expression. Kyungwon laughed. — I do not have a crush on her, I just find her pretty, ok? Oh my God — she continued. The youngest just laughed more. — Oh, do we want to talk about the fact that you have a crush on Siyeon? — Minkyeong teased in return. The other almost choked. — I- She- I’m not even gay! And I don’t have a crush on her, she’s three years younger than me! She could be my sister for what matters! — she exclaimed, clearly blushing. Minkyeong laughed, she loved embarrassing her. — Fine, fine. But I still doubt your heterosexuality — she talked once again. The younger groaned loudly. — C’mon, I see the way you look at girls! — at this point, Kyungwon stood up and exited the room, leaving a laughing Minkyeong on the bed.

 

Not long after Siyeon arrived, greeting her friend with a peck on the cheek and her friend’s friend… well she didn’t, actually. Minkyeong didn’t care. At that point, she was quite used to it. She looked at the time. It was almost six and a half. She sighed.

 

— So, I actually called you for a reason —

Siyeon took a sip of her drink. — Oh, so it was not because you like to see me? — she asked, with a pouty expression. Kyungwon rolled her eyes. — That’s implied. I have to ask you something about a certain someone that Minkyeong is interested in — she said. Siyeon raised one eyebrow, curiously. — It’s about that girl you met today, she always comes to the shop and Minkyeong thinks she’s cute —

Siyeon smirked. — Yebin? Minkyeong is interested in Yebin? — she asked. Kyungwon shrugged. Siyeon laughed. — She’s seriously lowering her standards. Well, they’re still too high for her actually… — she said. Kyungwon rolled her eyes, again. — Ok, ok. Well, she’s a senior at school, a complete loser actually, – Kyungwon thought to herself if Siyeon even realized what she said sometimes. She said “swaggy baggy” once, for real –, she’s like 18, I guess, and people think she might be gay, so I imagine Minkyeong hit it right for once — the youngest said, taking another sip of her drink when she was done. — Why do they think she’s gay? — the oldest asked. — I don’t know, probably because she only has male friends and looks nervous whenever a girl approaches her —

_Those are not good reasons,_ Kyungwon thought. — How do you know her? — she asked. — Well, she’s a good musician. I mean, she can play the drums and she’s a good rapper. She composes too. I’m not going to deny it; she could go somewhere. She wanted to start a band, I heard she needed a vocalist, so I went for it — Siyeon answered, like if it was the most natural and obvious thing to do. — So, you’re like, in a band together? Why didn’t you tell me? —

— Listen, I might be absolutely ok with her being gay, if she is, but not all the students are, and I don’t want to ruin my adolescence by letting others know we two are somehow close. Plus, I got in like three days ago, today we were discussing about where to meet and stuff, and, no offense, but that place you work in is awful and literally no teenager except for that weirdo goes in there — Kyungwon mumbled “wow, thanks”, but she knew Siyeon was right.

She sighed, thinking about it. On one side, having Minkyeong in a relationship would have meant no more hangovers and losing her in a crowd of people only to find her making out with a stranger, but at the same time she knew that she wasn’t good at keeping a relationship, and if she managed to get Yebin to become one of her exes that would have meant that automatically Siyeon, if she remained in that band, would have just disliked Minkyeong more and it could have even ruined their relationship. She hid her eyes behind her hand. — Hey, you should go for it, Yebin looks like she needs to get laid — Siyeon talked suddenly. Kyungwon glared at her. — She’s just 18. Heck, you’re barely even 17, when I was your age I didn’t even know what getting laid meant — she said in a serious tone. Siyeon rolled her eyes. — You could have a point… but I highly doubt that with Minkyeong as a friend you didn’t know what getting laid meant —

— Siyeon, stop —

Siyeon looked at her, quite confused. — I know you don’t like her and all but… don’t bring some stuff up, ok? Especially when she could hear you — Kyungwon said, lowering her tone. Siyeon looked at her drink. She was too stubborn to apologize, but Kyungwon knew she understood.

 

Kim Minkyeong was a mess. Everyone knew that, especially Kyungwon. Kyungwon had been there when the authorities somehow found out she had fake IDs and used them to drink even if she was still too young. Kyungwon had been there when Minkyeong was basically kicked out of her own home because she was bisexual. She was there when all the drama at school happened. Only Kyungwon, and nobody else. She was her family. Minkyeong was older than her but somehow she had to look after her. Kyungwon knew it. She knew every secret Minkyeong hid from the world behind her red hair and her fake smiles. She knew her better than everyone else did.

That’s why she was going to tell her. It could have been good for her to be in a stable relationship with a decent human being, given the people she had dated in the past few years.

 

— We have to make them meet up — Kyungwon said. Siyeon stared at her. — Are you for real? — she said. The oldest nodded, looking somewhere in the distance. Siyeon groaned. — I can’t believe you sometimes —

 

Minkyeong walked in the small living room of their apartment, finding Siyeon looking at her phone, scrolling down, and Kyungwon near her, also looking at Siyeon’s phone. — Hey Ddiyeon — she said, teasing the youngest, who stared at her and replied — Call me like that one more time and I’ll set your hair on fire in your sleep —, making her friend snort trying to hide her laugh. — We got some news — Kyungwon then said, shortly after. Minkyeong took a sit, waiting for the other to explain. Kyungwon told her about what Siyeon said, making her feel like she had a chance, and she proposed her the idea they came up with. — She’s trying to start a band, and she needs members, so since I’m already part of it I can tell her that Kyungwon could play the piano and she could take you with her, since turns out you can both play the guitar and sing – Minkyeong glared at Kyungwon. _It was supposed to be a secret_ – and you will be part of the band and you’ll flirt with her or whatever — Siyeon said. Minkyeong thought about it. — I’m not that good of a singer — she said. — Shut up and say thanks, I wouldn’t have even helped you if Kyungwon didn’t ask me — the youngest replied. — And you can sing, don’t be shy! — Kyungwon added. Minkyeong smiled and blushed slightly. She looked back at her friend (only then she noticed that Siyeon was basically sitting on Kyungwon’s lap). — Ok, I’ll try. Thank you Ddiddi! — she said, hugging the youngest tight and receiving some punches in response.

 

 

Yebin was wearing her usual “not for the school uniform” clothes, which consisted in her black skinny jeans, the grey hoodie and her loved converse. She almost always put her hair on her left shoulder. She had her homework and her laptop in her backpack. She would always tell her mother that she would do her homework in the shop, but she never actually did it. Not that she cared, anyway. She walked fast, checking how much money she had: enough for at least three coffees, which meant two or tree hours in the shop, free to do her business without her parents constantly checking on her.

The sun was already leaving his spot to the moon, the sky getting darker and the streets lights lighting up the streets. She turned her head down whenever a teenager looked at her, avoiding eye contact as much as she could. She entered the coffee shop, immediately feeling the warm air melting her frozen hands. She rubbed her nose and already took out her money, ready to pay. Yebin saw that Siyeon was already sitting at the counter, talking to one of the waitresses. She went to her and sat aside, shyly smiling at the waitress who smiled back. — Yebin eonni, – she hated it with all her heart, but Yebin was still older than her, and she had to call her in a formal way at least in public – let me introduce you to Kyungwon. Kyungwon, this is Yebin — Siyeon said. The girls greeted each other. — Kyungwon eonni can play the piano, so I thought you might would have liked to meet her —.

Yebin’s eyes lit up at the thought of having a decent pianist in the band. — Seriously? — she asked, kind of overly excited. She recomposed herself. — I mean, Siyeon must have told you, so, would you like to be a part of the group? — she asked. Kyungwon nodded. — And, actually… a friend of mine would like to be a vocalist, if you’re still accepting. She can also play the guitar — she added, pulling Minkyeong closer to her. Yebin almost had a heart attack seeing her.

 

There were two reasons why she had been going to that coffee shop for months: one, there were almost never any teenagers; two, she had a massive crush on Minkyeong. She didn’t know her name, she was just _the gorgeous waitress_ , she even wrote some songs about her: her red hair, her eyes, her smile. She would look at her when she was serving, so as not to be noticed.

She slapped herself mentally and went back to reality, hoping that nobody saw her reaction. — I’m Minkyeong, nice to meet you — the waitress said, reaching out her hand for Yebin to shake it. Her voice was soothing. Yebin rubbed her hand on her sweater first, then shook Minkyeong’s hand, it was soft, and she introduced herself, her voice slightly higher than usual. _Wow, she really gets nervous around pretty girls,_ Kyungwon thought.

— I would love to, I mean, if you would like to be part of the group, I’d appreciate that — she said, cursing mentally as she wasn’t able to talk like a normal person whenever she was nervous.

_She’s so cute,_ Minkyeong thought. — Yeah, ok, before you two start making out, eonni you can come at my house tomorrow when your shift is over to exercise — Siyeon jumped in, making Yebin blush hard and hide her face between her hands and Minkyeong open her mouth, shocked. Kyungwon pinched her arm, Siyeon rolled her eyes.

                                                                        

 

— She wouldn’t stop opening her mouth and look at you, c’mon, she was totally drooling over you —

— Stop it, she wasn’t —

— Well, you were, I didn’t see you acting genuinely interested in someone not because you wanted to bang them in _ages_. Ugh, I ship you girls so much —

Minkyeong raised one eyebrow. — _Ship_ us? What are we, main characters of a drama? —

Kyungwon smirked. — I totally ship you… think of a ship name! —

— A ship name? Seriously, Kyungwon? —

— Yes! Oh my God, I got it: Minbin! —

— It’s… awful — Minkyeong laughed.

— Well, thank you. Think of one yourself! — Kyungwon replied, annoyed.

Minkyeong smiled. They went on like this for about five minutes, until Kyungwon came up with “ _Minkyebin_ ” and oh lord, she wouldn’t stop teasing Minkyeong about it.

She liked it, though. She couldn’t stop thinking about it, it made her happy, the fact that maybe, just _maybe_ , she had a chance of having a girlfriend. This time, it felt different. The sight of Yebin’s smile kept reappearing in her mind, the way her eyes squinted when she laughed made her _aw_ mentally way too many times that day. Yebin had a soft voice and a soft laugh, she kind of looked like a puppy, and Minkyeong loved the shape of her upper lip so much.

She went to sleep smiling that night, for the first time in a while, knowing that, the day after, she was going to be able to appreciate the masterpiece that was Yebin again.


	2. The Audition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Little flashback about 2Kang's past, before going back to the time of the story when Minkyeong and Kyungwon go to Siyeon's house to "audition" to get in the band.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you haven't seen it, here's the link to the song Minky sings in this chapter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF7dojBu6lU [watch it y'all it's amazing]

_— So you like girls? —_

 

_It was a hot summer day. Silence, in the inhabited park, broken only by the sound of wind rustling through the dry leaves._

_The sky was full of clouds that day. Light grey clouds, which covered the sun but didn’t cool the air._

_They had run and played like children, even if they were teenagers. Nobody was there to see them, anyway._

_Kyungwon had short hair that fell freely on her shoulders, but stuck on the sweaty back of her neck like glue. She hated it. She was looking at Minkyeong, while kicking some rocks on the ground._

_Minkyeong was up on a bench, with her arms spread open and her eyes shut, letting the wind cool her humid skin, her bangs gently caressing her forehead, her ponytail swinging around. She let the sound of the wind isolate her for a while, then she answered, — Yes —._

_Kyungwon kept looking at her friend. — How do you know that? — she asked. Minkyeong thought about it. — How do you know that you like boys? — she asked back. Kyungwon thought about it. — Well, it’s the way it’s supposed to be — she answered. — According to others — she murmured, so that Minkyeong couldn’t hear her. — That was not the question — Minkyeong replied, turning to her friend, while the wind hit her back and lifted slightly her red shirt, revealing her stomach. — What do you feel like, with boys? — she asked again. Kyungwon looked down, she didn’t know the answer. She didn’t feel much. — Don’t make it about me, we’re talking about you — she responded, looking back at her friend. A few seconds went by, without any words, until Minkyeong jumped off the bench. She looked at Kyungwon, then got closer to her, until their bodies met, grabbed her face and kissed her, for about five seconds. — What did you feel? — she asked. Kyungwon was as red as Minkyeong’s shirt. — Em- Embarrassment! — she stuttered. Minkyeong smiled. She put her hand gently on Kyungwon’s stomach. — Here. What did you feel here? — she talked again. They were still so close, too close for comfort. Kyungwon looked down, to the rocks, without answering, until Minkyeong went back to the bench, sitting on it. — I didn’t feel much — Kyungwon finally said. The oldest looked at her and shrugged. — Did you feel something? —._

_Minkyeong thought about it. — I mean, it was nice — she said, looking up at the trees, — but that doesn’t mean I like you or what —._

_A few seconds went by. Kyungwon sat on the bench, close to Minkyeong. — Do it again — she said. Minkyeong looked at her and smiled. — Are you sure you didn’t like it? — she asked, teasing her friend, who blushed once again. — Just do it, I’m confused —_

_Minkyeong obeyed, putting once again her lips on Kyungwon’s, kissing her again._

_At the end, the younger shrugged. — Nothing — she said. — Maybe you just haven’t found the right one — Minkyeong said._

_Background noises fulfilled their ears once again. They didn’t need to talk. Kyungwon put her head on Minkyeong’s laps and grabbed her hands. They didn’t need to talk, to enjoy each other’s presence. They were best friends, somewhat soul mates, finding their way through life together, bringing calm in a messy world that wanted them to be just like factory-shaped dolls. But they weren’t dolls, and they weren’t going to change._

_It was a cloudy day, but warm. Peaceful and quiet, as summer's boredom took over their tired souls._

— How do I look? —

— Good —

— … Ugh, not enough, I’m going to change —

Kyungwon groaned loudly, pushing her head back. She exhaled loudly. — Minkyeong — she said.

The other girl hummed. — This it literally the tenth time you’ve changed and asked me how did you look — she continued, while her friend kept checking her clothes. — Stop it! — she exclaimed, getting up and pulling Minkyeong away from her wardrobe. She held her tight and said — Minkyeong. You have _never_ been like this or doubted your beauty, this isn’t even a date! Just wear something comfortable and let’s go —

Minkyeong put on a pouty expression. — But I’m nervous! What if she doesn’t like me? I have to look pretty. — she whined. _Why me, God, why_ Kyungwon thought. — Minkyeong, you _are_ pretty, Yebin was literally drooling over you! — she said. Minkyeong didn’t listen to her. Kyungwon groaned again and got up, pushing Minkyeong away from her wardrobe, again, and looking through her clothes. — Here, wear this — she said, throwing at her friend a long sleeve white shirt, a heavy blue baseball jacket and some leather pants. Minkyeong looked at them, and then at Kyungwon, dubious. — Wear them or I swear I’m not taking you anywhere — Kyungwon threated, to which Minkyeong immediately started changing. — Here, wear a hat, hats are cool — Kyungwon said, putting a small black bowler on her friend’s head.

 

The sky was already becoming dark, the sun slowly falling asleep, leaving its job to the street lights and the moon. It wasn’t an extremely cold day, unlike the day before, and most of all the air was tranquil, with no wind. It was a very pink sunset, that one.

Siyeon’s house wasn’t too far from the two girls’, so they didn’t pick a cab (not that they had enough money to do so, in case).

— Would you _please_ stop sighing? — Kyungwon asked, exasperated. Minkyeong whined. — I’m sorry, I’m nervous — she answered. — Yeah and I don’t get the reason why, you’re never nervous when it comes to being around people you like — Kyungwon said. — Yeah well it’s because usually I meet people that I like half drunk and under stroboscopic lights, and most of the time I just show them my chest to make them like me back. And I’m not nervous for that! It’s just that I’ve never singed in front of anyone —

Kyungwon looked at the girl, raising one eyebrow. — You sing all the damn time in front of me! — she replied. — You don’t count! C’mon, you’ve seen me naked, honestly you hearing me sing doesn’t make me nervous, but you are not Yebin and you definitely are not Siyeon and you know that Siyeon will probably say that I sound like a dying goat or something —

Kyungwon shook her head. — I’ll tell her to be nice, and since when do you care what others have to say about you? — she asked. Minkyeong didn’t answer, she kept looking straight forward.

Siyeon’s parents lived in a wealthy enough house (meaning that they didn’t live in an apartment and they didn’t have to share the house with neighbours), it was the first time Minkyeong was seeing it. Kyungwon, on the other hand, was familiar with it and, after making sure that mister and miss Park weren’t home, she rang the bell. Siyeon opened the door, making them come in immediately. She was wearing ripped jeans, an adidas sweater and had her hair tied up in a ponytail. She kind of looked like a fuckboy. She greeted Kyungwon with a peck on the cheek and Minkyeong with a cold — Hi — (still more than the usual, since she usually didn’t even greet her), and led the two girls to a basement, where Yebin was already waiting. She was wearing a pair of light blue jeans and a green and blue flannel over a black shirt. Her hair was free and fell gently on her back, with some locks posed in front of the shoulders. She was beautiful. She was doing something on her laptop, writing fast on the keyboard, so focused on her work that she didn’t even notice the girls coming in (little did Minkyeong know that, in fact, she was just as nervous as her and was pretending that she didn’t notice the girls entering because she didn’t actually know how to greet them without being awkward). Kyungwon smirked, she turned to Minkyeong and whispered — Her wearing a flannel is basically a declaration of her homosexuality —, to which Minkyeong responded by hitting her with her elbow, annoyed.

Well, it’s not like Yebin hadn’t heard it already.

 

Before going to Siyeon’s house, she passed by her best friend’s, Eunwoo. She didn’t tell her parents that she was going to practice to someone-they-didn’t-know’s house, so she lied and told them she was going to study at Eunwoo’s, like usual. Eunwoo of course knew, so she just took a few photos before the girl left that she could have used in case Yebin’s parents wanted to make sure the girl was actually studying at the older girl’s house.

— How do I look? — Yebin asked, twirling around. Eunwoo thought about it, before answering — With that flannel you’re basically screaming “I’m gay, fuck me” —

— Eunwoo! — Yebin blushed. — What? You asked for my opinion, here it is, you look gay — Eunwoo said and went back to giving her attention to her mobile phone. Yebin hid her face behind her hands. — Do I look that desperate? — she asked. She looked at herself on Eunwoo’s body size mirror. She sighed. — So, is this Mingyeng girl gay too? — Eunwoo asked. — It’s Minkyeong, and Siyeon told me she’s bisexual — Yebin answered. — I wouldn’t trust Siyeon, she’s like a spawn of the devil — Eunwoo furrowed her eyebrows. — You know you can’t call her like that just because she sings as good as you —

Eunwoo opened her mouth in shock and exclaimed — How dare you! I sing better and that’s not why I call her like that, she’s actually evil —

Yebin shook her head. — Well, until your throat gets better she’s going to be the main vocalist in the group, get over it — she said, making Eunwoo pout. — Why would she lie about it anyway? — Yebin talked again. The older shrugged. — Well, if she’s not straight, I bet you’re going to make her fall — she said, getting up and hugging the younger from behind. Yebin blushed and looked away from the mirror. — But I want to meet her, I have to make sure no random gal hurts my best pal — Eunwoo said. Yebin rolled her eyes.

 

— So, we need to do an audition first, for both of you — Yebin said, looking at Minkyeong and Kyungwon, who nodded. — Who wants to go first? — Siyeon asked. The two older girls looked at each other. — I’ll go first, I’m the oldest — Minkyeong said. — Great, do you have anything prepared or… — Yebin talked again. — Oh, yes, I- there’s this song that I like to sing sometimes, it’s called “Lost Stars” — the oldest answered. Minkyeong tuned Siyeon’s parents’ guitar, warmed her voice quickly and, when everything was ready, she started playing.

She felt nervous, having three other girls looking at her.

Kyungwon nodded, with a thumb up and a reassuring smile, to which she smiled back slightly. Siyeon looked focused on hearing her singing, with one raised eyebrow and her foot silently tapping on the ground following the rhythm.

Yebin was mesmerized. For her, it was just like hearing a mermaid sing. Minkyeong’s voice was soothing, a bit shaky in the beginning but it became firm and calm as the song went by. Minkyeong was so focused in singing, with her eyebrows and eyes casually moving as the melody took over her mind, showing her charisma. Yebin was sure she had never heard such a beautiful voice. Yes, Eunwoo was great and Siyeon sure knew how to sing, but Minkyeong… there was something rather _special_ about her, about her voice, the way she sang. Minkyeong locked her eyes in Yebin’s, without even realizing it. Kyungwon noticed. She turned to Yebin, who looked totally in a trance, and smiled.

The song finished and Kyungwon clapped her hands, hugging her friend and telling her — See? I told you you were going to be great! —, making her blush.

Siyeon looked at Yebin, but she was spaced out, so she turned back to Minkyeong and said — You’re good. Not as good as me, but good —, which was probably the nicest thing Kyungwon had ever heard Siyeon say to anyone. The two older girls smiled. — I like your voice —.

Minkyeong turned to Yebin. — I really like it, it’s… well, it’s nice. You’re in, definitely — she said, without being able to look into Minkyeong’s eyes for more than one second. The oldest smiled. — Thanks, I’m grateful – she said.

Kyungwon was more self confident. She warmed her hands on the keyboard, thinking about what to do. She used to play the piano when she was younger, but when she moved out of her home, she could only play the keyboard Siyeon’s parents had whenever she visited her (because she visited Siyeon more than she visited her parents). She played it fluently, without stressing herself like Minkyeong did. Minkyeong went to almost all of Kyungwon’s recitals and she always clapped the loudest, even if she didn’t like any of the classical pieces that the girl played; Kyungwon played the piano so beautifully and put so much effort and _emotions_ in it, that Minkyeong couldn’t help but exclaim “She’s my best friend!” to the ones who sat beside her, with a proud smile. She spent endless hours listening to her playing the piano when they were younger, sometimes singing along, asking her to cover a specific song, and sometimes even playing an easy duet that Kyungwon taught her in a bunch of minutes.

Kyungwon, however, wasn’t there to show her virtuosity: she covered some extracts from a bunch of songs with Siyeon. Siyeon sang and she would improvise, or better, she played the chords of the songs, recognizing and applying them to the melody. Minkyeong didn’t know how she did that. She sang as well. Of course, she passed the audition too.

 

Now it was the four of them in a band because Minkyeong liked Yebin.

 

— So, I actually have, like, two bases ready for two songs — Yebin said. — They’re easy but now that I’m not alone we could improve them or something —.

She sat on the small couch (Minkyeong still didn’t understand why Siyeon’s parents had a couch in their basement), grabbing her laptop and opening some files. — Come here — she said to the other girls. Minkyeong sat on her right, a bit closer than the necessary, Siyeon sat on the arm rest and Kyungwon went behind the couch. Minkyeong put her hands on her legs, so that her fingers touched Yebin’s leg as well, just slightly, but enough for Yebin to feel it. And yes, she did feel it. She didn’t know whether or not Minkyeong did it on purpose, to tease her, or she was just too delusional, but she was sure she had skipped a heart beat at the touch. _Damn_ , she thought, _she just barely touched you_. She was so damn… gay. She could almost hear Eunwoo telling her that in her mind.

She played the two songs, ignoring the best she could the small pressure she felt on the side of her leg, and watching carefully the other girls’ reaction, but she couldn’t deny she stopped her eyes on Minkyeong’s side profile the most. The girl looked focused on the music, she was watching the program and unconsciously moving her head up and down, following the rhythm. Yebin liked her side profile. She liked her cute nose, her pink lips, her eyes that looked so concentrated, her red hair that fell like a cascade from the bowler. Her face had beautiful lineaments, in general.

— So, what do you think? — Yebin asked, distracting herself from the sight of Minkyeong right beside her. — They’re great — Minkyeong smiled. — Seriously, I think you’re… they’re amazing — she added, looking at Yebin (who got lost again in her eyes). — It’s good, you really have some talent — Kyungwon said. Siyeon hummed, agreeing with her friend. — You’re too sweet — Yebin thanked, awkwardly. — So, what do we do now? —.

 

The afternoon passed by pretty fast: they spent most of the time trying to write some lyrics and revising the songs, adding other effects. All three of the girls were surprised mostly by Yebin’s creativity. She would have other ideas for other songs while revising the ones she already had, she was like a melody-machine.

Minkyeong kept finding herself staring at the younger girl without even realizing it, there was _something_ about her that kept catching her attention. Maybe it was her dreamy eyes, or the shape of her lips and the way her upper lips curved down at the centre and her cute voice, her cute expression whenever she smiled or laughed or her nose, _yes_ , Minkyeong found that cute too.

She kept trying to gain her attention, humming melodies, and she kept trying to have physical contact, touching her shoulders slightly or rubbing their legs. Yebin, though, looked too focused on her laptop to notice. At least, so it appeared on the outside, but the way her eyes flinched whenever she felt the warmth of Minkyeong’s body near her betrayed her. She was trying her best to look _not weird_ , but it was the first time she had ever been that close to a person she liked. No, a _girl_ she liked, and each time they somehow touched, her heart went crazy

 

— I think it’s enough for today — Yebin said, when it was around 8 pm. They all nodded and stretched a bit while getting up. Minkyeong got closer to Kyungwon, posing her head on her shoulder, smiling.  —You should give me your numbers so that I can make a group, it’ll be easier to organize then — Yebin talked again. They exchanged numbers and said goodbye to Siyeon (who _smiled_ at Minkyeong, patted Yebin and kissed Kyungwon on the cheek) and left the house. They had just turned their backs, Minkyeong and Kyungwon going to their apartment and Yebin to her house, when Minkyeong called the younger girl. — Are you free tomorrow? — she asked awkwardly, Kyungwon waiting a bunch of meters behind. — Yes, why? — Yebin answered. Minkyeong looked down a bit. — Well, I was wondering if you would like to, I don’t know, hang out or something — she said, now locking her eyes in Yebin’s. The younger had to restrain herself from screaming “Yes!” immediately. — It’d be nice — she said instead. — You could reach me at the shop after I finish my shift — the red-haired girl said, smiling. Yebin felt her heart melt. It was incredible how just the sight of Minkyeong smiling could affect her like this. She nodded, stopping herself from saying anything stupid. — Sure, I’ll see you there — she said. Minkyeong waved goodbye and turned, walking fast in the direction of her house, while Yebin stood there a bit, thinking about that evening. She smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To M, thank you for being who you are.
> 
> ~ Hi everyone, I'm back with a new chapter, I'm so happy both this and the oneshot received positive outcome, this is a bit rushed but the next chapter will be better (hopefully lmao), as always thank you all for reading, if you find anything unclear or simply grammatically wrong please let me know as english is not my native language. Please leave nice comments or a kudos if you enjoyed this bc i need lot of motivation to do stuff ahah  
> See you next time, also support Pristin's comeback! WE LIKE DUDUDUDUDUDU  
> 뇽안~


	3. Orange shades & Cerulean clouds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yebin finally took out the girl she had been drooling over for months, even after Eunwoo told her about that same girl's shady past. Two new girls get ready to join the band.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First: if you have instagram, be sure to follow my fanarts dedicated account there, I'm @kggroupsfanarts, notice me lmao  
> Second: some explanations will be put in the end notes. Also, there are some foreshadowings in this chapter...
> 
> // To my eonni, J:  
> I've told you multiple times you deserve the world. But the world itself doesn't deserve you. I hope you'll get through the cerulean sky to find the orange warmth again. I'll be with you through that. //

— _Kang Yebin_ —

Yebin quickly lifted up her head to face the teacher, the whole class looking at her. — What was I talking about? — the teacher asked. Yebin panicked. She looked around, Eunwoo was trying to tell her something, but it just looked like she was blubbering, so Yebin had to squint her eyes a bit to see. Useless to say the teacher scolded Eunwoo as well, who face-palmed. — I’m sorry miss, I didn’t sleep well last night, I’m having trouble focusing — Yebin said with the most innocent voice she could get, low-key trying to resemble a puppy. The teacher just shook her head and went back to… well, teaching. Not long after the bell rang.

— What’s up with you today? — Eunwoo asked, reaching Yebin in the hallway. — I told you, I didn’t sleep well — the youngest answered. — How dare you lie to my face like that, after all we’ve been through, after more than ten years of friendship, after I gave you a friendship bracelet — Eunwoo started with the usual dramatic speech she would give when she wanted something. Yebin had to shut her, because next step was falling on the ground and crying, and she didn’t need that kind of play in the hallways of their school. — Chill, I just… I _might_ have a date with someone — she said. The oldest stopped walking and looked at her friend with her mouth wide open in shock. — Kang. Ye. Bin. — she just said, while her friend pulled her to keep walking. — I mean, it’s not serious, and it’s not even a date, we’re just hanging out… — Eunwoo interrupted her, asking quite loudly — Who’s the lucky girl?

Yebin almost stomped. — Are you out of your mind? Don’t… — she lowered her tone, almost whispering — Don’t say that out loud! —

Eunwoo rolled her eyes. — So? Who is it? — she asked again. — The coffee shop girl, you know — was the answer. — Yeah, I’ve already forgotten her name, duh — the oldest said. Yebin groaned. — Minkyeong — she said. _Wait_. That name echoed in Eunwoo’s mind… now that she thought about it… she had already heard it, somewhere… _wait, Kim Minkyeong!_ Everything fit perfectly now! She grabbed Yebin’s wrist and pulled her, walking fast to reach some place in the school, ignoring her friend’s complaints. They reached the medals cabinet, that placed itself near the wall where the best students of each year had their photo stomped on the wall, with the class and the year they’d been the one with the highest score. Eunwoo pointed a girl on the wall, a few years prior to their year. — _This_ Minkyeong? — she asked. Yebin looked closer. It was her, indeed, just a few years younger, with black hair and a less-tired face. She nodded. — I didn’t know she came to our school — she said. Eunwoo put a shocked expression on her face once again. — You seriously don’t know about her story? — she asked. Yebin shook her head. — Well, rumours say she was one of the greatest students of the school, up until she started drinking alcohol and doing drugs, some even say. According to the legend, she’s also probably one of the, like, three people in this city who are openly not heterosexual and she got kicked out of her home for that just before finishing her last year. Which was last year. Literally a month ago — Eunwoo told. Yebin stood still for a few seconds. How had she never seen her at school? — There must be another side of the story. Well, her side of the story. A- and I don’t care anyway, these are just stupid rumours, she looks okay so I’m going to hang out with her — she said finally. Eunwoo shrugged. — Just don’t get yourself in bad situations — she said, genuinely caring for her friend. — I got myself into a bad situation since when I was born — Yebin grunted. — Oh come on, don’t be so dramatic — Eunwoo mocked. — Coming from you… you’re right, I got myself into a bad situation ever since when I met you — the younger laughed, while the other punched her arm jokingly. — I am the best thing that’s ever happened in your miserable life, you peasant — Eunwoo flipped her hair.

 

The streets were busy, crowded by all kinds of people at that time of the day. The sky was painted by the sun of a warm orange, that faded into a dark cerulean at the horizon from where the shadows were emerging. A tepid wind was blowing, kissing the skin of the pedestrians. The neon streetlights in the busy road were almost blinding, every colour catching Yebin’s attention from time to time. She didn’t have a fast pace like usual. Her hands were hidden in the pockets of her blue jeans, her right index tapping on the phone’s screen following the rhythm of the music. Her lips moved, mimicking G-Dragon’s rap part in the song.

She took a glimpse of the inside of the coffee shop. Minkyeong wasn’t at the counter. The girl told her to wait outside, so she did. She laid her back on the wall and stopped the music, taking off the earbuds. She looked at her reflection on the screen of her mobile, fixing her hair. A sigh escaped her mouth. Why was she so nervous? She looked up at the clouds. They were light grey, tainted by the sun’s warm orange. She wanted to be a cloud: free, able to travel freely and look at the people from above.

An — Hey — brought her back to reality. Minkyeong was… stunning. And she was standing beside her, putting something in her bag. Her red hair was shining of the sunset light, her smooth skin kissed by the sun. She was wearing a leather jacket, a peach blouse under it, her long legs covered by black jeans. She had a pair of consumed, now dark grey boots, shoelaces untied. Yebin’s throat was suddenly dry and her heart decided to accelerate its beat. — Hey — she said, her voice higher than usual. _Yebin what the fuck_ she thought. _She’s so cute_ Minkyeong thought, instead. — So, is there a place where you’d like to go? — Minkyeong asked. Yebin shook her head. — Everywhere will do — she answered. Minkyeong smiled. Her smile was so beautiful– she was so beautiful. They eventually headed towards the cerulean horizon, the warmth of the sun looking behind their backs.

Minkyeong wasn’t walking fast, but Yebin had to, in order to be close to her: damn height difference. — So, tell me, this is your last year, right? —. Yebin nodded. — Do you know what you want to do after? — the older asked again. Yebin thought about it. — I mean, I don’t have a clear plan. I only know that, whatever I’m going to go, it’s going to be music-related. I want to see where I, we, get with the band. But I’d also like to audition for a company — she said. — That’s awesome. Can you imagine? Kang Yebin, a member of the new After School, or 2ne1, whichever you prefer — Minkyeong laughed. — I want to be the next G-Dragon, honestly. Well, female version — the younger blushed a bit. — So, basically, CL? — the older asked. Yebin nodded, — Basically, yes —. She looked at the taller girl. Her hair was caressing her neck, her eyes were looking down. — What would you like to do? — she asked.

Minkyeong smiled for a brief second, then her happiness faded. — Survive — she said. She shook her head and put a smile on her face again. — Survive, in this mad, mad world — she spoke again. Yebin looked at her, the words Eunwoo had told her that morning resonating in her mind. She lifted her hand in the air, hesitant, but it was too late to back up so she just went on and patted her gently on the arm. Minkyeong blinked, looking at the sky. Yebin let her hand fall down, caressing Minkyeong’s jacket subtly with her fingers, she probably didn’t even notice.

— You’re really a good singer, by the way — Yebin randomly said. The older blushed a bit. — Thanks — she replied, awkwardly. — I want to hear you sing — she then added. — Oh, no, no — Yebin stuttered. — I rap. I don’t sing — she continued. — Come on — Minkyeong whined. The younger shook her head, but Minkyeong was going to get what she wanted, even if she had to use a low blow. — Yebin-ah — she scoffed. She stopped in front of the girl and pouted. — Sing for me — she said, still pouting. The younger girl froze for a few seconds, but eventually gave in. — I’m not a good singer, ok? — she exclaimed, but didn’t receive a response; the older had her eyes fixated on her. Yebin closed her eyes and focused, before tuning to one of the few songs she liked to actually sing, Adele’s Rolling in The Deep. Her voice was a bit shaky, but her English was perfect. There was, however, something else… something unique, Minkyeong couldn’t describe, like a soothing sensation that filled her whole body, that made her open her mouth in amusement unconsciously, and suddenly all of the car horns and the people talking in the background were silent and all she could hear were the notes that came out of Yebin’s mouth like a sweet lullaby. Yebin on the other side was focused on getting all of the notes and the words right. It just came natural for her to close her eyes while hitting the higher notes, and she looked down during the lower ones; she smiled halfway through, maybe for embarrassment, maybe for the emotion. Minkyeong smiled too, the warm wide smile that made the corner of her lips twirl upwards and that made Yebin’s heart melt. The performance ended in awkward laughter. Yebin covered her face with her eyes, Minkyeong took the chance: she grabbed Yebin’s wrists, pulling her arms away from her face, while saying excitedly — You were great! Your singing skills are so good! —. Yebin’s arms went back to their place beside the girl’s body, Minkyeong’s hand followed them, and for a quick moment their hands touched, a swift touch that could be barely be seen from afar, but the girls felt it. Minkyeong moved her hands quickly away, but Yebin’s fingers automatically moved towards the other girl, searching for skinship. Yebin stopped her hands forcefully, even though her heart was screaming to go for it, she knew it wasn’t the case.

— You underestimate yourself too much — Minkyeong broke the ice in the awkward situation. — You’re a really good singer too. Now I have to listen to your rapping — she continued, a sweet smile still on her face. Yebin smiled. — That’s… not going to happen today. You’ll hear me next time we’re at Siyeon’s — she said. Minkyeong pouted again. — Yebin-ssi! — she whined. — No, that’s not going to work again! Stop it! — Yebin laughed. Minkyeong laughed too. It was weird for her, spending time with the younger girl. Not negatively, of course, just… weird. She had gotten used to hanging out with the same two people (Kyungwon and Nayoung, sometimes even Jieqiong and Siyeon) for the past two years that laughing with someone new was… nice. Yebin was nice. She was nice and she was pretty and she was sweet and funny and she made random baby noises sometimes but it all added to the overall positive impression Minkyeong, Kyungwon and Siyeon had of her. But the thing that she brought to Minkyeong that somehow felt new, as she hadn’t felt that in ages, was that feeling of innocence and… overall carefreeness, carefreeness Minkyeong wanted to feel so bad but… she always tried, ever since she was young, she tried to not put way too much weight on certain things and she tried to enjoy her life the best she could: this was her biggest mistake. Yebin probably wasn’t going through what she had to burden just a year prior to their meeting, or at least so it looked like. She definitely looked better than last-year-of-school-Minkyeong. And Minkyeong was happy about that. She didn’t want Yebin to suffer.

It was already an hour they had been out, simply walking through the street, talking non-stop about anything that came to mind, yet it seemed like just a bunch of minutes, and at the same time it felt like they had known each other for ages. Yebin was starting to act more naturally and be more comfortable around the older girl, yet she still caught herself glaring at her eonni longer than necessary, feeling her heart skip a beat, and the constant need for skinship that she yet couldn’t properly fulfil… But still, just being by her side was enough for her. She had imagined that moment for months. She always wondered if Minkyeong put on perfumes whenever she saw her, and now she was able to tell that she used some flower-scented one. And she had been thinking about what the older girl’s clothing style was like, if she was a flower girl or a hipster or a punk… she would have looked good in all styles, though. In the end, there wasn’t a moment when Yebin’s eyes landed on the girl and she wouldn’t be awe struck. Minkyeong was the living demonstration of art, the definition of the word “masterpiece”. She truly was. With her stunning eyes and her perfect nose and her bright smile and her beautiful skin. It wasn’t as pale white as Korean standards of beauty wanted, and it was glorious in its naturalness. Yebin was sure that Minkyeong was the most beautiful girl on that planet, and she wasn’t going to get away from her anytime soon.

 

 

Kyungwon took off her Bordeaux apron and threw it on the chair in the small changing room near the bathroom of the café. She took off her white blouse and put on a black hoodie, after untying her hair. — Why do you never fold your damn apron — Minkyeong ranted, putting hers in the locker alongside the white blouse she would only use at work. — You do it for me — Kyungwon said, in a serious tone. — That’s because you never do it yourself — the older girl scolded. — Well, stop folding it for me then and I’ll stop leaving the work to you — Kyungwon put on an innocent smile. Minkyeong kept her expression dead serious. She sighed. — Remind me why do I still live with you? — she asked. — You love me! — the younger exclaimed, in an aegyo-like high pitched tone. Instant regret. Both laughed. — So I’ll meet you at home tonight… do I have to sleep on the couch? — Kyungwon spoke again. Minkyeong furrowed her eyebrows and looked at her upset. — I’m not going to sleep with Yebin, it’s the first time we hang out together! — she said, harsh tone. — Meh, you know I don’t judge — Minkyeong shook her head in disbelief. — I’ll see you later, you idiot — she  said, waving her hand and getting out of the shop walking fast, eager to meet the younger girl. Kyungwon smiled. She liked seeing her best friend happy, it made her happy too.

She finished packing up her stuff and looked at Jieqiong, who was also changing in the same room. — Hey — she simply said. Jieqiong turned her head, facing her, with her ridiculously deer-like eyes. — Do you want to get dinner together? — the older asked. Jieqiong smiled, but she shook her head, and added — I’m hanging out with Nayoung eonni, we’re going to get ramyeon —, with a perfect Korean accent. If it wasn’t because she knew her nationality, Kyungwon would have thought she was a native. — Oh… wait, literal ramyeon? Or, like, _ramyeon_ … — she said confused. Jieqiong looked just as confused as her. — “Going to get ramyeon together” is like, you know, spending time together… as lovers… — the older moved her hands while explaining, visibly awkward. — Oh! No — Jieqiong exclaimed, her whole face turning red. — No, we’re going to that mall nearby to get ramyeon, like, edible ramyeon, not _that —,_ Kyungwon was loudly laughing. She recomposed herself, and asked — Well then can I come with you two? —, to which Jieqiong shrugged. — Okay for me, you need to ask Nayoung eonni — she then said. Kyungwon nodded.

— Why should I let you come with us? — Nayoung asked, her arms folded. Jieqiong was standing right beside her, her bag hanging on her right shoulder, her eyes wide open as usual, she was looking even smaller and softer than usual beside Nayoung. — Because I don’t want to be alone, and Minkyeong is with her new girlfriend – Kyungwon looked at Jieqiong – … as in her new friend, who happens to be a girl — she said, with an awkward smile on her face. Nayoung stood still, without batting an eye. — Hang out with your friends then — she said. — Hah! As if I had any — Kyungwon joked, mentally crying. — You are the closest people I have to a friend, except for Minkyeong, please — she folded her hands as if she was praying, and she stood too long on that “please”, long enough for Nayoung to give up. — Fine, just shut up. And I hope you have your own money — she said, turning quickly to hide an embarrassed smile from Kyungwon’s sudden aegyo burst. Jieqiong smiled sincerely.

She didn’t have any friends in Korea, apart from Nayoung, obviously. Minkyeong and Kyungwon were kind of a mystery to her. She wasn’t confident enough with her Korean to talk for more than two minutes with them, and they looked intimidating: tall, always together, Minkyeong had that air of the bad girl even when she was just serving tables, and Jieqiong had caught her taking sips of the shop’s liquors and cocktails when no one was looking (or at least Minkyeong thought so) multiple times. She wasn’t mean, she was sweet and would often compliment Jieqiong on her Korean, but still… and Kyungwon was just awkward sometimes, but she could get pretty intimidating too. Jieqiong wasn’t shy, but the fact that Korean wasn’t her primary language definitely made her look so. Anyway, she was happy whenever she could interact with other girls. And boys also, but mostly girls. She loved hanging out with Nayoung (mostly because, when she was with her, Nayoung wouldn’t be such a “stone buddha”, like Minkyeong and Kyungwon called her), and getting dinner with Kyungwon that night would have been a great opportunity to get to know her better.

During the walk to the mall, which situated itself in the sea of orange and pink shades of the eye-blinding sun, Nayoung kept talking about things that happened in the shop that day, and, alongside with Kyungwon, she would try to give the word to Jieqiong as much as she could. They all listened carefully, ready to correct her at any mistake to help her improve her Korean, but it had already improved so much during that winter it really didn’t need any improvement anymore.

— So, about that girl Minkyeong is hanging out with. Who is she? Another one of those hit and leave? — Nayoung asked out of the blue. Kyungwon looked at Jieqiong. She didn’t seem uncomfortable with the argument (Nayoung wouldn’t have brought that up if so), and she was sure the Chinese girl was confident enough with Korean to understand what they were talking about. — It’s actually a usual client of the shop, a girl, a student, one year younger than her — she said. Nayoung nodded. — And what do you think about her? — she asked. Kyungwon didn’t hesitate. — She seems nice, I mean, she’s still a student, doesn’t smoke, never tried to order alcoholics, and I’m pretty sure she’s never been in a relationship — she said. — So basically Minkyeong’s opposite — Nayoung added. — Yeah, pretty much. Minkyeong seems happy with her, so I’m happy with that.

 

 

 

 

— Trust me, you’ll be just fine! —

— But I’m afraid I won’t! What if my voice cracks or I end up crying or, _worse_ , _you_ end up crying because of embarrassment? I can’t do this, I can’t, I’m leaving —

— Oh c’mon, yes you can, just relax, you’ve sung so many times in front of me, it won’t be any different! —

Yewon pouted. — Keep this a secret between the two of us, but you sing better than any other girl in that room — Seongyeon smiled widely. Yewon sighed, as her friend knocked on the door and made way for the older girl.

In the room there were two other girls, Seongyeon told her they would practice together. Yewon respectfully bowed while she was greeted by the others. The two girls, whose names were Yeonjung and Siyeon, _that_ Siyeon, looked nice enough, and she almost immediately felt welcomed. After all, maybe it wasn’t going to be as dramatic as she thought. She was shy, but she was trying to look the positive sides: she made a step forwards towards her dream, _becoming a professional singer._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello, hello, I'm back. So, I know I updated this last time more than a month ago, and I ask forgiveness for that. I've had an exam and school started so it was pretty confusing and I couldn't focus on this, but now I'm going to organize better my time to give this fanfiction the attention it deserves. Also, I'm not extremely proud of this chapter, so I'll try to work even harder on the next one.   
> Anyway, did you catch the foreshadowings? First, I quoted Peniel's line in BTOB's song "movie", and... yup, it's the direction in which the girls go. Can't be such big of a deal, right? Well it is, actually. Minkyeong moves towards the darkness... that is the thing I like the most of this chapter.   
> Also: Seongyeon and Yewon!! Yas  
> Thank you all for reading up until now, I'll make sure not to disappoint you any further and I'm so happy of the positive outcome and the nice comments, see you next time! 뇽안~

**Author's Note:**

> 


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